Cancer comment misconstrued: Garnett

Updated on: 05 November,2010 07:10 AM IST |
AFP |

Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett issued a statement yesterday saying he didn't mean to offend anyone with his on-court comments which were directed in the heat of the moment at a Detroit player

Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett issued a statement yesterday saying he didn't mean to offend anyone with his on-court comments which were directed in the heat of the moment at a Detroit player.

Garnett issued the statement prior to Boston's 105-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks after Detroit's Charlie Villanueva accused him of overstepping the line during an earlier Boston win. Villanueva wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night that Garnett called him a "cancer patient."

Villanueva, who is bald, suffers from alopecia universalis, a medical condition that results in hair loss.

"I am aware there was a major miscommunication regarding something I said on the court last night. My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact: You are cancerous to your team and our league," Garnett said.

"I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to the disease and have a family member undergoing treatment. I'd never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than basketball."

Villanueva had tweeted: "KG called me a cancer patient, I'm (mad) because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke."

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